New Delhi, April 3 – Delhi experienced light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms in several parts of the city after a dust storm swept through the national capital in the morning, the India Meteorological Department said on Friday.
The weather office has forecast thunderstorms with lightning on Saturday, with a maximum temperature expected to reach 33 degrees Celsius and a minimum of around 20 degrees Celsius.
On Friday, the maximum temperature was recorded at 33.7 degrees Celsius, 0.3 degrees below normal.
An orange alert (be prepared) has been issued for south, central, and New Delhi, while a yellow alert (be aware) is in place for southwest, west, and northeast Delhi.
Data from individual stations showed that Palam recorded a maximum of 32.7 degrees Celsius, 1.6 degrees below normal. Lodhi Road and the Ridge station both recorded 33 degrees Celsius, with the latter remaining 1.7 degrees below normal. Ayanagar recorded 34 degrees Celsius, 0.1 degrees above normal.
Parts of the city experienced light rain during the day, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting light showers, thunderstorms, and gusty winds in several areas later in the day.
Weather experts attributed the morning dust storm to a disturbance over the western Himalayas, which has induced a cyclonic circulation over central Pakistan and adjoining Haryana and Rajasthan.
"A disturbance over the western Himalayas has been recurring frequently over the past month, creating a consistent pattern. This system is inducing a cyclonic circulation over central Pakistan and adjoining Haryana and Rajasthan, which is now influencing Delhi-NCR," said Mahesh Palawat, Vice President, Meteorology and Climate Change, Skymet.
He added that winds have shifted to easterly, bringing in moisture and leading to isolated rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds.
"A temporary rise in temperature is expected on April 5, followed by another spell of rain and thunderstorms on April 6 and 7 due to a fresh western disturbance. Thereafter, a sharp rise in temperatures is likely," he said.
On the minimum temperature front, Delhi recorded 22.4 degrees Celsius, 3.6 notches above normal.
Among stations, Palam recorded a minimum of 20.6 degrees Celsius (2.1 notches above normal), Lodhi Road 21.1 degrees (3.1 notches above normal), Ridge 20.6 degrees (0.8 notches above normal), and Ayanagar 21.8 degrees (3.6 notches above normal).
Meanwhile, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 266, in the 'poor' category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Of the monitoring stations, one recorded 'moderate' air quality, seven fell in the 'very poor' category, and 33 were in the 'poor' category.
According to CPCB standards, an AQI of 0–50 is considered 'good', 51–100 'satisfactory', 101–200 'moderate', 201–300 'poor', 301–400 'very poor', and 401–500 'severe'.